Hayes reaction.
Player ratings.
That, alas, is that. I’ll leave you with a match report from Gothenburg. Commiserations to Chelsea, congratulations to a glorious Barcelona team. Thanks for your company and emails - goodnight.
The Barcelona players just cannot stop smiling. All of them kiss the trophy as they walk past, and then it is presented to Vicky Losada. After a theatrical delay, she lifts it high above her head as her teammates bounce around behind her. Barcelona are champions of Europe!
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This
I don’t think there’s much soul searching for Chelsea here. Barca are out of this world and a couple of years ahead of the Chelsea project.
— Tim Stillman (@Stillberto) May 16, 2021
1 - After their 4-0 win against Chelsea, Barcelona have become the first Spanish team to win the Women's UEFA Champions League, recording the biggest win in a final of the competition (since 2009/10). Happiness. pic.twitter.com/B9DWp1ugd2
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 16, 2021
The BT Sport panel are discussing whether Chelsea should have started with the 3-4-3 formation they used in the second half. I think that’s a red herring. Barcelona were cruising at that stage, and to start with wing-backs against Martens and Graham Hansen would have been on the lunatic side of foolhardy. Chelsea lost to a magnificent team; tactics had little to do with it.
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There are tears now, from Ji and especially Magda Eriksson. Ach, sport can be bloody cruel.
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Do you remember the first time? Barcelona won’t remember a better time. Their players and staff are dancing on the spot, bursting with joy at the greatest achievement of their careers. Chelsea’s players look numb rather than devastated as they congratulate the Barcelona tea; I don’t think any of them are in tears. Now they get in a huddle, with Emma Hayes addressing the entire group. She looks calm, if slightly stunned. But as has been said already, Chelsea know that it’s possible to recover from a night like this: the same thing happened to Barcelona in 2019.
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Full time: Chelsea 0-4 Barcelona
Barcelona are champions of Europe for the first time! They demolished Chelsea with an awesome first-half performance, inspired by their marvellous wingers Lieke Martens and Caroline Graham Hansen.
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90+1 min: Oshoala has a goal disallowed for offside. It was a fine finish, but Losada was offside in the build up.
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90+1 min “Yes, Rob,” says Matt Dony. “It’s almost as if I’ve made this point to you before. It is absolutely, 100% the sanctimony. (And, to be honest, a dirty love for Galacticos-era Madrid.) I admit, I don’t know enough about the women’s side to know whether it’s fair to view them the same way I view the men’s side, but just to be safe, I’m going to dislike them. Seems reasonable. Hala Madrid.”
90 min Oshoala twists Carter inside out but then hammers the ball over the bar from 15 yards.
90 min “It will hurt for a while but the progress is there and onwards and upwards to Ms Hayes and her team,” says Ruth Purdue. “I remember what Lyon did to Barcelona as well. This is what has come from it. They haven’t had a bad season at all and they deserve what attention and praise they have received.”
89 min Martens has a shot blocked by Bright. The Barcelona bench are all on their feet, ready for the final whistle.
88 min Another long-range shot, from Cuthbert I think, is saved comfortbaly by Panos. Chelsea have played with plenty of pride in the second half. That sounds like a basic requirement but I’d imagine most of us would have a spectacular sulk if we were 4-0 down at half-time in a game like this.
85 min England’s long-range shot is blocked. Chelsea have had more shots than Barcelona and an even share of possession, but those are damned lies: Barcelona have been a class apart.
84 min A snapshot from Harder, 20 yards out, brushes the roof of the net. She looks, not unreasonably, thoroughly cheesed off.
82 min Two more substitutions for Barcelona: Ouahabi and Torrejon are replaced by Melanie Serrano and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic.
79 min There’s a perceptive quote in David Beckham’s autobiography. He was talking about the 1996-97 season, his first as a Champions League regular, and he said that playing in Europe it was “a bit like learning football all over again”. I suspect the Chelsea players know exactly what he means.
78 min The match is petering out. It has been since half time, in truth.
77 min “So Matt Dony doesn’t like Barcelona?” says Shaun. “Is it the city, the architecture, the food, the weather, the men’s team, the women’s team, that most of their players come through the Academy, the fact that the club is owned by its fans rather than by crooks, that it has won European trophies than any English team, Cruyff, Maradona, Romario, Guardiola, Laudrup, Ronaldo, Iniesta, Xavi or Messi? Or Steve Archibald?”
I don’t want to speak for Matt, but I think it might be the sanctimony.
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75 min “I remember when Chelsea were taking apart Arsenal in the WSL,” says Charles Antaki. “Ji was slipping passes through the midfield to fairly devastating effect; not much chance here. And in general, Barcelona seem a league above the WSL on all sorts of dimensions.”
Yeah, they have been several shades of awesome. But two years ago they were in this position, 4-0 down in a Champions League final, so it can be done.
74 min Actually, having seen the replay, I’m not entirely sure Charles did get the ball. There were no appeals for a penalty though.
74 min Charles makes an outstanding last-ditch tackle on Oshoala, who looked set to make it 5-0.
73 min Two changes for Chelsea. Beth England and Erin Cuthbert replace Ji and Sam Kerr.
73 min On reflection, those two chances for Harder at 1-0 - one brilliantly saved, one blocked - were vital moments. Had Chelsea equalised then, the match might have taken a different course.
72 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Chelsea are singing the blues and Barcelona are sitting pretty in pink.”
And that’s Blockbusters.
71 min Two more changes for Barcelona: the club captain Vicky Losada and Asisat Oshoala replace Putellas and Hermoso.
71 min Another half chance for Chelsea. After a bit of pinball in the area, Kerr loops a header over the bar.
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70 min It’s rare that you get to bathe in something magical before it has officially happened. With a 4-0 lead, Barcelona are enjoying that delightful window of time.
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68 min Reiten’s free-kick is headed straight at Panos by Harder. That was a decent chance, and she could easily have had a hat-trick tonight.
66 min Hamraoui’s corner is headed wide of the far post by Guijarro (I think).
65 min Putellas plays a neat through pass to Hermoso, who shoots wearily into the side netting.
64 min “Re: my earlier mail about my daughter and Chelsea,” says Julian Menz. “She has just said, ‘Chelsea är skitdålig [Swedish for shite], I’m going to bed, read me a book’. Let’s hope Chelsea win something soon, or we might lose her.”
They’ve already won two trophies this season and could be on for a third. How much glory does she want?!
62 min A Barcelona change: the brilliant Caroline Graham Hansen is replaced by Mariona Caldentey.
60 min Graham Hansen wanders over to the left, beats Charles and lifts a cross that is pushed away by Berger.
60 min Bright eases Putellas over in the area. That looked a risky challenge, but the referee had no interest in giving a penalty.
58 min Ingle plays a terrific pass to find Kirby in space on the right of the area. She lifts a cross towards Kerr that is brilliantly cleared by Guijarro, facing her own goal in the six-yard box. No matter, it wouldn’t have counted: Kirby was offside.
54 min Chelsea have been much the better team in the second half, though that’s partly because Barcelona’s intensity has dropped. I suppose being 4-0 up does that to you.
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52 min Chelsea have indeed switched to a 3-4-3 formation, with Reiten and Charles as wing-backs. That’s a huge risk against Martens and Graham Hansen, but they’ve got nothing to lose and so far it has worked well.
51 min Another near miss for Chelsea, with a left-wing cross just evading the head of Kerr at the far post.
50 min Kirby has a snapshot blocked. Chelsea have made a proud, determined start to the second half.
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49 min Eriksson, up for a corner, is shoved in the back by Maria Leon. The referee gives a foul to Barcelona, because Eriksson fell on the ball and handled, but that could easily have been a penalty. It wasn’t a clear and obvious error, so VAR didn’t get involved.
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47 min The only vague silver lining for Chelsea is that they know it’s possible to get over a Champions League final hammering, as that’s exactly what Barcelona have done.
46 min Kirby’s cross is headed towards goal by Kerr, and Panos moves across her line to make a comfortable save.
46 min Peep peep! Chelsea begin the second half.
Chelsea have made a half-time change: Guro Reiten is on for the luckless Melanie Leupolz. That might mean a switch to a back three.
“Chelsea didn’t even play that badly initially, they were incredibly unlucky for the first two goals,” says Ciaran Crowther. “But they sleepwalked into a nightmare after that. Millie Bright looked lost in that first half. Devastating.”
“Hi Rob,” says Peter van Balen. “Even though Martens hasn’t scored herself (yet), she was devastating in attack - back to her best (FIFA & UEFA Player of the Year 2017). Looking forward to the second half.”
The run for the fourth goal was majestic. She has such a brilliant change of pace.
Half-time chitchat
“Wow,” says Matt Dony. “Even the very best teams often tense up in the really big games. How often have we bemoaned underwhelming finals between underperforming sides? Barcelona have been playing like it’s an exhibition. No pressure, no nerves, utterly confident in their ability and their system. I don’t like Barcelona at all, but it is absolutely impossible not to be enormously impressed.”
“Genuinely sad to have been proved correct about the predicted rout because the women’s football sceptics will get undeserved attention in England, where the top four club sides are a joy to watch,” says Dom in California, who predicted this before the match. “I hope Guardian readers don’t make that mistake. Chelsea are not garbage. This Barca side are just truly exceptional. If we invest properly in the women’s game, we will only be treated to more and more quality like what we’re seeing in pink. It’s the beautiful game.”
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Half time: Chelsea 0-4 Barcelona
Ouch. The biggest game in the history of Chelsea FCW has turned into a grisly nightmare. They never recovered from Melanie Leupolz’s freak own goal after 33 seconds, and Barcelona took them apart with some blistering football. The left winger Lieke Martens was unplayable - she didn’t score but played a part in three of the goals.
Alexia Putellas made it 2-0 with a dodgy penalty, then played a sensational pass for Aitana Bonmati to score the third. And finally a glorious run from Martens ended with a tap-in for Caroline Graham Hansen.
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45+1 min Ji’s free-kick is comfortably saved by Panos.
45 min Kirby is fouled 30 yards from goal. It’s rare that you talk about the chance of a consolation goal in the first half, but sadly that’s where Chelsea’s are at.
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43 min “While I was expecting Barcelona to shade it based on their performance in the semifinal, I’m flummoxed by how much trouble Chelsea have had with the Catalan attack,” says Kári Tulinius. “I watched them deal fairly comfortably with Mead and Miedema, one of the finest forward pairs in the game, but they can’t seem to read Barcelona’s movements at all. Are Barcelona doing something different, or are Chelsea just not set up to chase the game?”
I think the early goal, and the manner of it, really unnerved Chelsea. But the main factor is the quality of Barcelona’s wingers, who have played a big part in all four goals. Niamh Charles and Jess Carter have been unable to cope; I’m not sure many could.
41 min Harder cuts inside from the left and hits a good shot that is smartly saved by Panos, falling to her right at the near post.
40 min Chelsea are an exceptional football team, yet they have been taken toi the cleaners. Barcelona have been awesome.
39 min Ah, it turns out Ingle was booked for that tackle on Hamraoui.
38 min Ingle is lucky not to be booked for a really poor tackle on Hamraoui. There was a VAR check for a red card, in fact, though it didn’t quite meet that threshold.
36 min It’s worth repeating that, in their only previous final, two years ago, Barcelona were 4-0 down to Lyon after half an hour.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-4 Barcelona (Graham Hansen 35)
Barcelona are champions of Europe... already. Martens moves elegantly past Charles on the left, slows down and then beats her again in the area. She reaches the byline, looks up and nutmegs Bright to give Graham Hansen an open goal. That was devastating.
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34 min Ji drives an excellent long pass towards Kerr, who gets behind the defence but lobs wide from the edge of the area. That was a chance, because Panos was in, erm, no-woman’s land, but Kerr couldn’t wrap her left foot around the world.
33 min At times football is incredibly callous. It took Chelsea eight years to get to a Champions League final, and they conceded a slapstick own goal after 33 seconds. They just haven’t recovered.
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31 min Putellas turns smartly on the edge of the D before driving a low shot wide. She has been majestic.
29 min “That’s how you buy a penalty,” says Ruth Purdue. “I am with you, I am having none of it.”
I’m not sure she even bought it. I just think she kicked Leupolz in her follow through and went over because it genuinely hurt. The referee actually waited a couple of seconds before giving it, which suggests the fall may have been a factor. But I’m not sure it was simulation from Hermoso. The daft thing is that, had she connected cleanly, I think Leupolz would have blocked the shot and play would have continued. It only became a foul because of the miskick.
28 min Chelsea, not unreasonably, look shellshocked.
Here’s the penalty that put Barcelona 2-0 up. I’m still not having it, though it would be a stretch to say Chelsea have been robbed.
Penalty! 😯
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 16, 2021
Hermoso is clipped in the box as she goes to shoot 👀
Alexia steps up and puts it in the bottom corner for Barcelona ⚽#UWCLfinal Live on Youtube & BT Sport 2 HD 💻/📺 pic.twitter.com/fXb8vOPFMh
24 min Harder has a long-range shot blocked. Chelsea have played pretty well going forward, but they have been taken apart at the back.
22 min The pass from Putellas for that goal was textbook tiki-taka: she spotted Bonmati’s run and made an instant adjustment to angle a first-time pass through to her, taking three Chelsea players out of the game in the process.
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That is a beautiful goal. Martens beat Charles on the left and crossed towards Hermoso, back to goal on the edge of the area. She laid it off to Putellas, who played a devastating first-time through pass into the path of Bonmati. She charged into the area, nicked the ball away from Charles and slipped it under Berger.
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GOAL! Chelsea 0-3 Barcelona (Bonmati 20)
Oh goodness gracious me.
16 min Kerr’s cross is headed onto the roof of the net by the stretching Harder. I’m really not sure that was a penalty you know. I’d like to see it again while not trying to do 48 thing at once, but it looked like Hermoso made a mess of the shot and then followed through into Leupolz. Either way, it’s been a traumatic start to the game for Leupolz. She has scored an own goal and given away a penalty, despite arguably doing nothing wrong.
15 min In their only other Champions League final, two years ago, Barcelona were 4-0 down to Lyon after half an hour. It’s fair to say they have addressed that tonight.
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GOAL! Chelsea 0-2 Barcelona (Putellas 14 pen)
No penalty heroics from Berger this time. The captain Putellas calmly sends her the wrong way, and Chelsea are in all sorts of trouble.
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PENALTY GIVEN! Hmm, I’d like to see that again.
Graham Hansen got behind Carter in the area, shaped to shoot and then cut the ball back to Hermoso near the penalty spot. She miskicked her shot under pressure from Leupolz and then went over after a clash of legs. I thought Hermoso kicked Leupolz in her follow through, rather than the other way round, but I fear this is going to be upheld.
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12 min: PENALTY TO BARCELONA! This looks like a terrible decision, and we do have VAR.
11 min The last five minutes have been much more encouraging for Chelsea, with most of the game being played in the Barcelona half. It’s a statement of the offensively obvious, but the next goal is huge.
What a start from Barcelona! 😲
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 16, 2021
A rocket of a shot from Lieke Martens 💥Rattles the bar!
Then the clearance hits Leupolz and loops over and into the back of the net 😖
#UWCLfinal Live on Youtube & BT Sport 2 HD 💻/📺 pic.twitter.com/qchG8a5mJ5
9 min: Another chance for Harder! Leupolz feeds the ball into Kerr, who flicks it ingeniously behind her standing leg to put Harder through on goal. Torrejon comes across to make a vital block, deflecting Harder’s shot behind. The corner is swung to the far post, where Eriksson heads over. That was a difficult chance.
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8 min Chelsea have their first spell of possession. It’s been the most torrid start imaginable.
6 min We haven’t had time to reflect on that freak goal after 33 seconds. There was nothing Leupolz could do about it, and I’m not sure you can really blame Kirby either. She was just trying to clear the ball somewhere, anywhere, but it hit Leupolz and ricocheted crazily over Berger.
5 min Barcelona are pressing so aggressively, and Chelsea are being swamped.
4 min: Vital save from Berger! Chelsea are all over the place. Berger’s clearance goes straight to a Barcelona player, who feeds it into Putellas (I think) in the area. She drives a rising shot that is pushed onto the roof of the net, not entirely convincingly, by Berger.
4 min: Hermoso almost makes it 2-0! This is a ridiculous start to the game. Hermoso receives posseession on the edge of the area, turns smartly and drives just wide. Then...
2 min: What a save from Panos! Chelsea almost equaliuse straight away. Carter’s driven cross from deep on the left finds Harder in space eight yards out. She opens her body to steer a half-volley towards goal, and Panos reacts brilliantly to turn it over. A goalkick was given, and at first it looked like a bad miss, but I’m sure that was a save.
I cannot believe what has just happened. Martens hit the bar after 25 seconds, a brilliant effort from the edge of the area. Barcelona kept the ball alive until Kirby’s desperate clearance hit Leupolz and looped miserably over Berger. Chelsea are behind after 33 seconds!
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GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona (Leupolz own goal 1)
A nightmare start for Chelsea!
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1 min Peep peep! Barcelona, in their pink change strip, kick off from left to right. Chelsea are in their new blue kit.
Here we go. In a few hours’ time, one of these teams will be champions of Europe for the first time.
Tense, nervous headache? I should hope so, it’s the bleedin’ Champions League final!
A stern-faced Magda Eriksson leads Chelsea onto the field, followed by Alexia Putellas and Barcelona. Some players look very nervous, others more relaxed. Fran Kirby and Sam Kerr, inseparable before the game never mind during it, are having a laugh and a joke.
“As a huge admirer of the FAWSL, I would be very happy to see Chelsea make a game of this or even win it,” says Dom from California. “But having watched Barcelona in the last two rounds, I just can’t see it. Both sides have weaknesses at the back, but expect Caroline Graham Hansen in particular to utterly terrorise Chelsea’s left back. Plus Martens should be buzzing after burying PSG. A sad day for Chelsea awaits.”
I fear you’re right, as they are an awesome side. But what if? What if?
I’m off for a quick coffee break. See you in 10 minutes for the kick off!
The pre-match thoughts of Emma Hayes
“I’m in the happiest place ever. I’m in this fantastic arena, it’s decked out with women’s Champions League colours. I’ve got a happy dressing-room, we get to play in one of the biggest games of our lives. I’ve learned over the years that this is what you go to work for, to be in these moments. I’m too old to get nervous, so I’m gonna have a glorious evening watching my team. We’re gonna give it everything we’ve got and I hope that we can get everyone back home on the edge of their seats.
“I respect Barcelona, they play some wonderful football and there’s no doubt there will be moments in this game when they dominate and we have to suffer. I said to my team, every time something happens that’s disappointing, you have to think about them going up on the podium and lifting the trophy at the end of the night. They’ve got to dig deep, they’ve got to find the Chelsea spirit. There’s a lot of quality in our dressing-room. It’s the best two teams in Europe, I’m sure it’ll be a great game. I just can’t wait for it to kick off. It’s been a long day.
“I don’t talk about best XIs. This is the team that can execute our plan tonight. Barcelona’s threat in the wide areas is clear and obvious, and they want to own the middle of the park, so I’ve picked a team and a strategy that I know can cope with that. And I know I’ve got a wonderful bench to call on if I need it.”
Beautiful. No dugout though is weird! But also means we’re right above Chelsea staff/bench and can give you all the goss... #UWCLfinal #nofilter pic.twitter.com/Ic9YDjTMQC
— Suzy Wrack (@SuzyWrack) May 16, 2021
I hope it doesn’t hose it down.
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The teams in probable formation
I’ve put Chelsea’s formation as 4-3-3, as per the official Uefa graphic, but they are very flexible in attack - at times it will be a 4-3-2-1 or even a 4-2-3-1. Just one more thing: it looks like Jess Carter and Niamh Charles will swap sides from the semi-final - Charles on the right, Carter on the left to deal with Caroline Graham Hansen. Charles hasn’t exactly drawn the long straw either: she’s up against Lieke Martens.
Chelsea (4-3-3) Berger; Charles, Bright, Eriksson, Carter; Ji, Ingle, Leupolz; Kirby, Harder, Kerr.
Substitutes: Musovic, Telford, Blundell, England, Reiten, Fleming, Cuthbert, Spence, Andersson, Fox, Beever-Jones.
Barcelona (4-3-3) Panos; Torrejon, Guijarro, Maria Leon, Ouahabi; Bonmati, Hamraoui, Putellas; Graham Hansen, Hermoso, Martens.
Substitutes: Coll, Font, Laia Codina, Melanie, Losada, Mariona, Crnogorcevic, Oshoala, Fernandez, Vilamala
Referee Riem Hussein (Germany)
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Barcelona team news
Lluis Cortes makes one change from the semi-final win over Paris Saint-Germain: Kheira Hamraoui comes in for the suspended Andrea Pereira. That means Patri Guijarro will move into the centre of defence, with Hamraoui taking her place in midfield. The brilliant Asisat Oshoala, who has struggled with injury in the last couple of months, is on the bench.
👥 11 @FCBfemeni OFICIAL #UWCL
— FC Barcelona Femení (@FCBfemeni) May 16, 2021
👌 @stanleytools #ChelseaBarça pic.twitter.com/ieAdune7H3
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New kit vibes! 👕😍#CFCW #UWCLfinal pic.twitter.com/enbEX3UPg9
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) May 16, 2021
“My five-year-old daughter starts playing ’organised’ football here in Sweden on Tuesday,” says Julian Menz. “(A bunch of kids chasing the ball, but it’s a start.) We were watching the FA Cup final yesterday, entire family in Chelsea shirts, and after an hour of ‘come on Chelsea’, the Leicester goal was swiftly followed by ‘I’m tired now’. I told her the women can do better than the men, so here’s hoping. Come on Chelsea, Molly in Sweden is watching! (Well, papa will be reading the MBM for her.)”
Team news: Chelsea are unchanged
Emma Hayes sticks with the team that beat Bayern Munich in the second leg of the semi-final. The flexibility of Melanie Leupolz and Sam Kerr in particular means they can switch between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-2-1. I suspect it will be the latter tonight.
Here's your Chelsea team to take on Barcelona in the #UWCLfinal! 💪#CFCW pic.twitter.com/va89vvX3kQ
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) May 16, 2021
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Chelsea can be crowned Champions of Europe, inspire a generation, and cement a place in history.
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 16, 2021
🔵🦁 Chelsea vs Barcelona 🔴🔵
Women’s Champions League Final 🏆
Live on BT Sport 2 & Youtube 📺/💻
7:15pm ⏰ pic.twitter.com/dEn9xI5kSy
While we wait for the team news, here’s Suzanne Wrack’s brilliant profile of the remarkable Emma Hayes.
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Chelsea are the first English team to reach the final since 2007, when Arsenal beat Umea 1-0 on aggregate thanks to a goal from Alex Scott. Whatever happened to her, etc. Emma Hayes was part of the Arsenal coaching team that year; now she’s in the big chair.
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Preamble
Hello. The record for climbing Mount Everest is eight hours 10 minutes, achieved by Pemba Dorje Sherpa in 2004. But the metaphorical ascent, the fulfilment of a lifetime’s ambition, usually takes years rather than hours. In football, the analogy is used most often to describe the holiest of grails, the Champions League. Tonight in Gothenburg, either Chelsea or Barcelona will reach the summit by winning the competition for the first time.
At the moment, just under two hours from kick-off, defeat is unthinkable. Both sides will have a powerful sense of destiny – Chelsea after that heartstopping win over Bayern Munich took them into their first final, Barcelona because they beat the PSG side that had put out the serial winners Lyon.
This is Barcelona’s second final, after a painful hammering in 2019, and they are strongish favourites: most bookies have them odds-on with Chelsea at 3/1. They were much too strong for Manchester City in the quarter-finals, and their record in the Primera Division is terrifying: played 26, won 26.
Then again, Chelsea’s record isn’t far off that, and they reached the final by putting out two excellent sides in Wolfsburg and Bayern. They are still on course for a quadruple, too, although the bigger picture doesn’t matter tonight. For everyone connected with Chelsea - especially their charismatic, visionary coach Emma Hayes - this is the ultimate.
Kick off 9pm in Gothenburg and Barcelona, 8pm in London.
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